The 2008 Peace Academy was so much more than just an academic exploration of the origins of violent conflict or the foundations of building peace. While investigating these and other topics with real intellectual rigour, the Academy also provided a rare opportunity to reflect on some of the largest questions facing activists and practitioners committed to non-violence and social justice. How do we construct a just and peaceful society? What are the roots of violent conflict in our communities and in ourselves? From which sources – cultural, historical, philosophical, religious, and others – do we draw strength and inspiration for our work? How do we build and sustain effective movements for non-violent social change? How should societies deal justly and non-violently with a violent past? What do I need to prepare myself for the challenges of this work?

The contributions of participants and lecturers to these discussions – both formal and informal – created an atmosphere that week in Sarajevo that was truly alive with dialogue and debate. The Peace Academy quickly established itself as an essential forum for ideas and for the forging of new networks among activists and practitioners in the region. In more than two decades of teaching and activism concerned with peace and human rights, I have rarely experienced a week as stimulating and rewarding as the 2008 Peace Academy. This was a week that challenged and changed me on so many levels, and the experience of mutual learning and personal growth that we shared in my course will remain important for me always. We need this Peace Academy even more than we could have imagined – and long may it flourish!

Brian Phillips, Lecturer – 2008 Peace Academy